Dents and Dings
by JennieJoy72
Summary: My response to the 1000 words or less challenge using the phrase, :we're safer, not safe".


**Dents and Dings**

Scrambling as fast as their feet could take them, they ran up into the tree house. Both of them breathing heavily as one found a small stool to sit on.

"Oh, thank God! We're safe?" The older of the two said.

"Safe? We are not safe by any means possible! For the moment we're safer, not safe. Not safe by a long shot."

"Do you always have to be so negative? For all Mom and Lee know we've been hanging out up here in the treehouse. They won't know any different if you keep your mouth shut." Philip said in what he thought was a rational voice. Jamie heard the small glint of fear in his brother's voice.

"I am the one using my brain. Think about it Einstein, they interrogate people for a living! Mom is one of the best because no one even realizes she is doing it. What makes you think that they are going to believe that we were up here in this treehouse all day?" Jamie looked at his brother before sitting on the stool to calm his nerves.

Phillip looked around the old treehouse and knew that his parents were in no way going to accept that excuse. "Okay, then, all we have to do is go in the house and act like we don't know anything about it. See Jamie, we are still safe." He said with a devilish grin on his face.

"I'm all for going in the house, but I know we will be cannon fodder when they get home. Why don't we just be honest with them?"

"You're really crazy! If we tell them the truth we might see the light of day before you graduate Med School."

"If we don't tell them the truth and they find out on their own, I won't even see Med School!"

Just then they heard him, loud and angry. It was their step father, Lee Stetson.

"What in the hell happened to my Corvette?" Lee bellowed as the two in the treehouse peek over the side seeing both their parents coming through the back gate.

"How am I supposed to know? I was with you all day trapesing through the back woods of Virginia again." Amanda said trying to hide her own anger at seeing the dent on the driver side, broken driver side mirror, and the crack through the middle of the windshield of her husband's Corvette.

Lee paced the yard before saying, "He is responsible enough to drive the car you said. It would be a great birthday present for him you said. I said I thought it was too much car for a teenage driver. Amanda we haven't even given him permission to use the damn thing and he goes behind our backs and look what he does to it."

"Lee you don't know that it was Phillip. We do have two teenage boys in the house."

"So you agree that it was the boys?" Lee asked.

"I hate to say it, but yes, I think it was." Amanda said as she looked down feeling awful that her trust in her sons seemed misplaced at that moment.

Phillip and Jamie heard the conversation and Phillip whispered to his brother, "They were thinking about giving me the Corvette for my birthday? Man I blew it big time." To emphasize his point he hit himself on the forehead with his hand.

Jamie looked at his brother and then down at his parents still discussing the car and consequences of what happened. Jamie then looked at Phillip and said, "Just stay here and don't come in the house for at least an hour. I don't care where you tell them you have been just wait at least an hour."

"Jamie, what are you doing?" Phillip felt nervous as he watched his younger brother walk toward the edge of the treehouse and then without using the ladder jumped done.

Lee and Amanda were both startled as they heard Jamie land on the ground.

"Hey, what were you doing up there?" Amanda asked.

"I was hiding from you and Lee." Looking Lee directly in the eyes he stood straighter and said, "I was hiding because I took your car."

Lee looked at Jamie and then up toward the treehouse, wondering if Phillip bribed his brother into this confession. He knew Jamie was lying and from the look on Amanda's face so did she.

"You took my car? Where is your brother?" Lee asked.

"I don't know he was gone not long after you two left. I was alone and bored. I thought I could handle the car, but after I turned out I hit the Martin's mailbox a little. I thought it would be just a scratch, not the dent or the mirror being broken."

Lee unfolded his arms and placed them on Jamie's shoulders before asking, "How did the crack get in the windshield?"

Swallowing hard Jamie whispered, "A rock flew up and hit the windshield. It just spread out across. After all that I just did my best to back it in then I ran for the treehouse to hide until you got home."

Amanda and Lee both glanced toward the treehouse. Lee then said, "Let's go talk about your punishment and repayment process."

Phillip sat in the treehouse for longer than the hour Jamie had suggested thinking about what Jamie had done for him. He climbed from the treehouse and went to find his family gathered around the table about to eat. Looking at all of them he said, "Jamie didn't do anything. I did and I will take care of paying for the repairs and any other punishment that needs done."

"Why did you lie for your brother?" Lee asked.

"He's my brother we take care of each other, no matter what."

Phillip looked at him and said, "You know what? You might not be such a wormbrain after all."


End file.
